DEVELOPERS behind the £400m redevelopment of Oxford’s Westgate Centre have taken out an insurance policy against a city centre road collapsing.

The processing of the latest planning application for the shopping centre had been held up while Oxford City Council, Oxfordshire County Council and developer the Westgate Alliance reached the agreement.

There had been concerns about which organisation would have to pay out if Norfolk Street collapsed because the planned underground car park would be beneath it.

City council leader Bob Price said the developer had now agreed to pay the premiums for insurance against that happening.

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He said: “What it boils down to is the fact there is a policy in place which will provide the funding for whichever authority is responsible for the car park.”

Responsibility for the policy would be passed on to whoever bought the Westgate Centre if it was ever sold.

The new Westgate Centre would include 70 new shops including a 14,500sq m John Lewis department store, a cinema, cafes and restaurants.

Sara Fuge, development manager for Westgate Alliance, said: “We are delighted to have submitted our application for the redevelopment of the Westgate Centre, which has been subject to a rigorous public consultation programme.

“It is a major step forward.”

A decision on the planning application is expected to be made by the end of the year.

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